Structure and mechanical properties of cellulose based scaffolds fabricated by selective laser sintering

This work presents the rapid fabrication of starch-cellulose and cellulose acetate scaffolds by selective laser sintering and the evaluation of the laser power, laser scan speed and the polymer particle size influence on the scaffold properties. The specimens were prepared using two different particle sizes and characterized by density measurements, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and a flexural test. The fine adjustment of process parameters was fundamental to warranty the processability of biodegradable cellulose based polymers by SLS. The specimens with lower particle size presented a higher degree of sintering, higher mechanical strength and a significant level of closed pores, as indicated by the density measurements and fractography analyses. The results obtained showed that is possible to fabricate scaffold structures using starch-cellulose and cellulose acetate materials by selective laser sintering. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.